Boston-area to do list

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PICK OF THE DAY

Woman of many letters

Our first encounter with Joyce Carol Oates was reading her haunting, widely anthologized 1966 short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” (It was made into the film “Smooth Talk” with Laura Dern and Treat Williams in the 1980s.) The prolific writer and National Book Award winner has published a long list of books including “Blonde,” “Them,” and “The Gravedigger’s Daughter.” Brookline Booksmith and Grub Street cosponsor her Boston appearance in support of her latest book, “The Accursed,” a psychologically
spine-tingling tale in a Gothic style. March 27, 6 p.m. $5. Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline. 617-566-6660, www.brooklinebooksmith.com

TUESDAY

Girl power Amina is from Afghanistan, Wadley is from Haiti, Senna is from Peru. They’re a few of the young ladies profiled in Academy Award nominee Richard Robbins’s “Girl Rising.” The documentary tells the stories of nine girls from nine countries seeking to become educated and break out of oppressive situations. March 26, 7:30 p.m. $10, $8 advance (women $8, $6 advance). Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington. 781-646-4849, www.regenttheatre.com

In character We love the National Portrait Gallery. If you, too, like looking at artistic renderings of people, check out the new exhibit “Character Study.” It features images of artists, performers, and ordinary people of various ages, races, genders, and cultures. Through March 31, 2014. Wed-Fri 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat-Sun 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $14, $12 seniors, $10 students, under 13 and active duty military personnel and families free. DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, 51 Sandy Pond Road, Lincoln. 781-259-8355, www.decordova.org

Woman of many talents South Korean jazz musician Seung-Hee started out studying French literature but ended up at the Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory. The Seung-Hee Quintet features guitarist Jamie Stewardson, pianist Tim Ray, bassist John Lockwood, and drummer George Schuller. March 27, 9 p.m. $10. Ryles Jazz Club, 212 Hampshire St., Cambridge. 617-876-9330, www.rylesjazz.com